Flattener for straightening curved sheet material



March '21, 1967 R. STEINHARDT FLATTENER FOR STRAIGHTENING CURVED SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 22,

2 Sheets-Sheet l PRIOR A R T FIG. 3

yawn Q4/4419; 7

INVENTOR.

March 21, 1967 STEINHARDT 3,309,9Q7

FLATTENER FOR STRAIGHTENING CURVED SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office 3,309,907 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,309,907 FLATTENER FOR STRAIGHTENING CURVED SIEET MATERIAL Richard Steinhardt, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to SMS Manufacturing Company Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Fiied June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 37 6,859 8 Claims. (Cl. 72-164) This invention relates to a flattener for straightening curved sheet material such as a coiled metal strip.

Prior art types of flatteners generally comprise two pinch rolls, which can be driven through suitable gearing by an electric motor, for example, and a number of flattening rolls which are arranged in two rows with the flattening rolls in one row being spaced from and offset with respect to the flattening rolls in the other row, so as to define a generally sinusoidal sheet material receiving path therebetween. The flattening rolls are not driven but are freely rotatable. The flattening rolls, as their name implies, serve to flatten the curved sheet material. The pinch rolls serve to initially drive the sheet material between the offset flattening rolls, but, generally speaking, serve no good purpose after the sheet material has been threaded through the flattener and taken up by some other device which pulls the sheet material through the flattener. In order words, once the flattener is in operation, the pinch rolls become superfluous.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a flattener which is designed in such a manner that once the flattener is in operation, one of the pinch rolls may be moved, so that the pinch rolls become flattening rolls and serve a useful purpose.

A flattener embodying this invention comprises a plurality of rotatable rollers which are spaced apart from and offset with respect to each other so as to define a sheet material receiving path between successive rollers, means for moving one of the rollers substantially directly above and into alignment and pinch roll relationship with another one of the rollers, and means for rotating at least one of the aligned rollers.

This invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of this invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation, in section, of a prior art type of flattener,

FIGURES 2 and 3 are schematic side elevations, in section, of a flattener embodying this invention, each showing a different position of the rollers thereof, and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are perspective views, in greater detail, showing parts of the flatteners of FIGURES 2 and 3 respectively.

Turning first to the prior art type of flattener .100 illustrated in FIGURE 1, four lower rollers 101 are shown, these being journalled at both ends thereof in bearings (not shown) in frames 102, only one of which is shown. Positioned above lower rollers 101 and oifset with respect thereto are three upper rollers 103 journalled at both ends in bearings (not shown) in separate frames 104, only one of which is shown for each roller 103.

Journalled at both ends in bearings (not shown) in frames 102 is a roller 105 which is in alignment and pinch roll relationship with a roller 106, the latter being journalled at both ends thereof in bearings (not shown) in frames 107 (only one shown).

Rollers 102 and 103 are freely rotatable but are not driven. Rollers 105 and v106, however, are driven in the directions shown in FIGURE 1 by an electric motor (not shown) and through suitable gearing.

The strip or sheet 108 of material to be flattened is unwound from a reel 109 of the material and is passed between pinch rollers 105 and 106, which drive the strip of material between the flattening rollers 101 and 103. Once the left-hand end of strip 108 emerging from flattener has been taken up by some device which pulls strip 108 through the flattener, pinch rollers 105 and 105 become superfluous.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown a flattener 10 which consists of a plurality of lower rollers 11 and 11a positioned side-by-side and in spaced apart relationship with each other. The axes of rotation of rollers 11 and 11a are parallel and lie in a common horizontal plane. The lower rollers are journalled at both ends in bearings (not shown) in two sets of separate frames 12 positioned at either end of rollers 11 and 11a.

Positioned above rollers 11 and 11a are a plurality of upper rollers 13 and 13a which also are positioned sideby-side and in spaced apart relationship with each other. The axes of rotation of rollers 13 and 13:: are parallel and are parallel to the axes of rotation of rollers 11 and 11a, but the axes of rotation of rollers 13 and 13a may not lie in a common horizontal plane, since it is common in flatteners for the first upper roller 13a encountered by the strip or sheet of material being flattened to be closer to the lower rollers than are subsequent upper rollers 13, so that the strip of material is subjected to greater stressing at the beginning of the flattening operation, and the degree of stressing decreases progressively as the strip of material passes through the flattener, this latter effect being achieved by positioning successive upper rollers 13 progressively further from the sets of lower rollers with which the upper rollers are associated.

Each roller 13 and 13a is journalled at both ends in bearings (not shown) in frames 14 (only one of which is shown per roller).

It will be seen from FIGURE 3 that the axes of rotation of successive upper and lower rollers are positioned at the apices of zig-zag path, i.e., the upper rollers each are positioned between two adjacent lower rollers. On account of this, and because the upper rollers are spaced apart from the lower rollers, a generally sinusoidal strip material receiving path is defined between successive ones of the rollers, the amplitude of this path preferably being largest at the right-hand end of the flattener of FIGURE 3 and diminishing progressively towards the lefthand end of the flattener, as explained hereinbefore. A strip 15 of material being flattened is shown passing through the flattener along this path and in the direction given by the arrow.

When rollers 11, 11a, 13 and 13a are in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 3, each upper roller preferably is spaced equidistant from adjacent upper rollers, each lower roller preferably is spaced equidistant from adjacent lower rollers, and the upper rollers preferably are positioned half-way between the lower rollers with which they cooperate.

Normally rollers 11, 11a, 13 and 13a in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 3 are not driven but do rotate freely.

Whereas FIGURE 3 shows a flattener embodying this invention in normal operating condition, FIGURE 2 shows the flattener of FIGURE 3 at start-up. It will be seen from FIGURE 2 that one of the sets of frames 12 has been moved to the right from the position thereof in FIGURE 3, so that roller 11a is aligned with and is in pinch roll relationship with roller 13a directly above it, and to this end roller 13a and its frames 14 have been moved upwardly.

In the position of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2, rollers 11a and 13a are driven in the direction shown by the arrows and serve as pinch rollers.

One suitable form of mechanism for moving roller 11a between the positions thereof in FIGUR-ES 2 and 3, one suitable form of mechanism for shifting roller 13a between the positions thereof in FIGURES 2 and 3, and means for adjusting the positions of the other rollers 13 relative to the other rollers 11 are shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, the shaft 16 of roller 13a projects through its frame 14 and has a gear 17 fixed thereto. Similarly, the shaft 18 of roller 11a projects through its frame 12 and has a gear 19 fixed thereto. A gear 20 is fixed to a shaft 21 which, in turn, is driven by any suitable means such as an electric motor (not shown), for example.

The means for moving frames 12 carrying roller 11a consist of a hydraulic cylinder 22, which is fixed in position, and which has a movable piston (not shown) therein which is secured to a connecting rod 23 that projects through cylinder 22 and is coupled to frame 12, it being understood, of course, that such cylinders are provided for the frames 12 at both ends of roller 11a.

The means for shifting roller 13:: upwardly and downwardly between the positions thereof shown best in FIG- URES 2 and 3 consist of a cylinder 24 which is fixed in position, a piston 25 positioned within cylinder 24, and a shaft 26 which is secured to frame 14 of roller 13a and on which piston 25 is fixed. Shaft 26 has a threaded end 27 which passes through cylinder 24 and a lock-nut 28 is threaded thereon. Conduits 29 and 30 are provided for conducting fluid under pressure to the chambers within cylinder 24 above and below piston 25 respectively. Means (not shown) are provided for exhausting fluid from these chambers when required. It will be understood, of course, that the device hereinbefore described is duplicated for the frame 14 at the end of roller 13a which is not shown in FIGURE 4.

The means for adjusting the spacing between upper rollers 13 and lower rollers 11 comprise a housing 31 which is fixed in position, a shaft 32 which is fixed to frame 14 and which has a threaded end 33, a gear 34 positioned within housing 31 and supported by a thrust bearing (not shown) from the bottom wall of housing 31 and threadably engaging threaded end 33 of shaft 32, a worm gear 35 which rotates gear 34, a shaft 36 secured to worm gear 35 and a handle 37 also secured to shaft 36 and adapted to rotate the same upon rotation of the handle. It will be appreciated, of course, that a similar device to that hereinbefore described will be provided at the opposite end of roller .13 to that shown in FIGURE 4. Furthermore, such devices will be provided for all of rollers 13 so as to permit the spacing between rollers 13 and their cooperating rollers 11 to be adjusted independently of each other.

In order to describe the operation of a flattener embodying this invention, it will be assumed that the flattener is in its normal operating position, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, but with no strip of material passing between the upper and lower rollers. In this position gears 17, 19 and are disengaged, and the motor which drives gear 20 through shaft 21 is stationary. Lock nuts 28 are threaded on shafts 27 to a position such that roller 13a is at a desired height above its two cooperating lower rollers for a flattening operation.

When it is desired to flatten strip 15 of material, fluid under pressure is introduced through lines 30 to the chambers in cylinders 24 below pistons 25, so as to raise roller 13a to a suflicient extent that it will not be struck by roller 11a when the latter is moved in to pinch roll relationship with roller 13a. When this has been done, hydraulic fluid under pressure is introduced into cylinders 22 to move frames 12 carrying roller 11a horizontally from the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 5 to the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. When frames 12 carrying roller 11a reach the position thereof shown in FIGURE 4, gears 17, 19 and 20 mesh with each other, and roller 13a is directly above roller 11a and in pinch roll relationship therewith. The fluid in cylinders 24 beneath pistons 25 then may be exhausted to permit roller 13a to rest upon roller 11a, and positive pressure may be applied by conducting fluid under pressure to the chambers in cylinders 24 above piston 25 through lines 29. The motor connected to shaft 21 is started and rotates gears 17, 19 and 20 in the directions shown in FIG- URES 2 and 4. Rollers 13a and 11a consequently are driven and serve as pinch rollers for strip 15 which is passed therebetween and is driven between successive rollers 13 and 11 by the pinch rollers.

Once strip 15 has passed through flattener 10 and has been taken up by some device which pulls strip 15 through flattener 10, it is no longer necessary for rollers 11a and 13a to remain in pinch roll relationship or to be driven. Consequently, the motor which drives gear 20 can be stopped, the hydraulic fluid in cylinders 22 exhausted, and the pistons therein actuated to move frames 12 carrying roller 11a to the position of FIGURES 3 and 5, where rollers 13a and 11a, together with the roller 11 ahead of roller 11a, serve a flattening function.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a flattener embodying this invention operates in the same way as the prior art type of flattener insofar as the flattening operation is concerned, but eliminates two pinch rollers and 106 of the prior art type of apparatus.

It will be appreciated that the height of roller 13a relevant to the lower rollers may be adjusted by the position of lock nuts 28, and that the positions of rollers 13 relevant to their cooperating lower rollers may be adjusted by rotation of handles 37.

While rollers 11, 11a, 13 and 13a normally are not driven when they are in the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, it will be appreciated that it would not depart from this invention to drive these rollers in this position thereof, if such were desirable.

It also should be appreciated that many different types of mechanisms may be employed to perform the various functions of shifting the rollers as hereinbefore described, and that the rollers other than roller 11a may be shifted if desired. Thus, it would not depart from this invention to provide a single frame 12 for all of the lower rollers and to shift all of the lower rollers so that all of the upper rollers come into pinch roll relationship with the lower rollers. Alternatively, one or more of the upper rollers may be shifted relevant to the lower rollers to establish the pinch roll relationship.

While this invention has been described in connection with a flattener having three upper rollers and four lower rollers, it will be appreciated that any number of rollers above three may be employed.

It will be appreciated that gears 17, 19 and 20 are of the long tooth type. If, on account of the thickness of strip 15, meshing between gears 17 and 19 in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 4 cannot be effected even with long toothed gears, it will be appreciated that a gear train may be provided between gears 17 and 19 so as to permit gear 17 to be driven by gear 19 through the gear train.

Attention is directed to the fact that the mounting of roller 13a is such that jamming of rollers 11a and 13a will be avoided in the event that roller 13a is not lifted before roller 11a is brought into pinch roll relationship therewith. In this event roller 11a merely will force roller 13a upwardly with shafts 36 sliding through cylinders 24.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set out in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A flattener for straightening curved sheet material such as a coiled metal strip, said flattener comprising: at least first, second and third rotatable rollers, said rollers being spaced apart from each other and being located in a first position relative to each other wherein the axes of rotation of said rollers are disposed substantially parallel to each other and are located at the apices of a triangle with the axis of rotation of said second roller being located intermediate and thereby laterally offset from the axes of rotation of said first and third rollers and also on one side of a line joining the axes of rotation of said first and third rollers; means for laterally shifting at least one of said first and second rollers relative to each other to a second position, in said second position said first and second rollers being in alignment and pinch roll relationship with each other with one of said first and second rollers being located substantially directly above the other of said first and second rollers with reference to said line; and means for rotating at least one of said first and second rollers.

2. A fiattener according to claim 1, including means for moving at least one of said first and second rollers relative to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line joining the axes of rotation of said first and third rollers when said first and third rollers are in said first position.

3. A flattener for straightening curved sheet material such as a coiled metal strip, said fiattener comprising: a plurality of rotatable first rollers, said first rollers being positioned side-by-side with the axes of rotation of said first rollers being parallel to each other; a plurality of rotatable second rollers, said second rollers being positioned side-by-side with the axes of rotation of said sec ond rollers being parallel to each other and parallel to the axes of rotation of said first rollers, said first rollers being spaced from said second rollers and all located on one side of a line joining the axes of rotation of said second rollers with the axis of rotation of each first roller being located between and hence laterally offset from the axes of rotation of the immediately adjacent pair of said second rollers, whereby a sheet material receiving path is defined between said first rollers and said second rollers; means for moving one of said first rollers laterally into alignment and pinch roll relationship with one of said second rollers at one end of said flattener; and means for rotating at least one of the aligned rollers.

4. A flattener for straightening curved sheet material such as a coiled metal strip, said fiattener comprising; a plurality of first rollers, said first rollers being positioned side-oy-side but in spaced-apart relationship with each other and with the axes of rotation of said first rollers being parallel to each other and lying in a substantially straight line; a plurality of second rollers, said second rollers being positioned side-by-side but in spaced-apart relationship with each other and with the axes of rotation of said second rollers being parallel to each other and the axes of rotation of said first rollers and lying in a substantially straight line, said first rollers being spaced from said second rollers and all located on one side of said line joining the axes ofrotation of said second rollers with the axis of rotation of each first roller being located half way between and hence laterally offset from the axes of rotation of the immediately adjacent pair of said second rollers, successive ones of said rollers being positioned relative to each other to define a generally sinusoidal sheet material receiving path between said first rollers and said second rollers; means for moving one of said first rollers laterally into alignment and pinch roll relationship with one of said second rollers at one end of said fiattener; and means for rotating at least one of the aligned rollers.

5. A fiattener according to claim 4 including means for moving said one second roller relative to a line joining the axes of rotation of said first rollers in a direction such that the distance between said one second roller and said one first roller may be increased or decreased.

6. A flattener according to claim 4 including means for adjusting the spacing between said second rollers and said first rollers.

7. A flattener according to claim 4 wherein said means for rotating at least one of the aligned rollers comprises a driving gear and a driven gear, said driven gear being connected to drive said one of said aligned rollers, said driving gear meshing with said driven gear when said one of said first rollers and said one of said second rollers are in pinch roll relationship.

8. A fiattener according to claim 6 wherein said means for rotating at least one of the aligned rollers comprises a driving gear and a driven gear, said driven gear being connected to drive said one of said aligned rollers, said driving gear meshing with said driven gear when said one of said first rollers and said one of said second rollers are in pinch roll relationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,867,343 7/1932 Wittek 72-164 References Cited by the Applicant FOREIGN PATENTS 557,387 5/ 1958 Canada. 578,415 6/1959 Canada. 626,301 8/1961 Canada. 661,612 4/ 1963 Canada.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLATTENER FOR STRAIGHTENING CURVED SHEET MATERIAL SUCH AS A COILED METAL STRIP, SAID FLATTENER COMPRISING: AT LEAST FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD ROTATABLE ROLLERS, SAID ROLLERS BEING SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER AND BEING LOCATED IN A FIRST POSITION RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER WHEREIN THE AXES OF ROTATION OF SAID ROLLERS ARE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND ARE LOCATED AT THE APICES OF A TRIANGLE WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SECOND ROLLER BEING LOCATED INTERMEDIATE AND THEREBY LATERALLY OFFSET FROM THE AXES OF ROTATION OF SAID FIRST AND THIRD ROLLERS AND ALSO ON ONE SIDE OF A LINE JOINING THE AXES OF ROTATION OF SAID FIRST AND THIRD ROLLERS; MEANS FOR LATERALLY SHIFTING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER TO A SECOND POSITION, IN SAID SECOND POSITION SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS BEING IN ALIGNMENT AND PINCH ROLL RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER WITH ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY ABOVE THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS WITH REFERENCE TO SAID LINE; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS. 